Obama Claims He Is The Same Guy He Was 10 Years Ago, But His Words Tell A Different Story

Obama: “You Could Take A Videotape Of Things I Said 10 Years Ago, 12 Years Ago And You Would Say, Man This Is The Same Guy.” OBAMA: “And you know what? You can — like this guy right here who I served with in the United States Senate, George Shadid. And you know, you could take a videotape of things I said 10 years ago, 12 years ago and you would say, man this is the same guy.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Davenport, IA, 10/24/12)

IN 2008, OBAMA CALLED ADDING $4 TRILLION TO THE DEBT “UNPATRIOTIC”

In 2008, Obama Said Adding $4 Trillion To The National Debt Was “Irresponsible” And “Unpatriotic.” OBAMA: “The problem is, is that the way Bush has done it over the last eight years is to take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children, driving up our national debt from $5 trillion for the first 42 presidents – number 43 added $4 trillion by his lonesome, so that we now have over $9 trillion of debt that we are going to have to pay back — $30,000 for every man, woman and child. That’s irresponsible. It’s unpatriotic.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Fargo, ND, 7/3/08)

IN 2005, OBAMA ATTACKED BUSH FOR NOT TACKLING MEDICARE

Then-Sen. Obama Attacked President Bush for Not Tackling Medicare. OBAMA: “The only thing I’d add, and then I’ll turn it over to Dick is to talk, is to mention that despite the President staking his domestic policy agenda in his second term on Social Security reform, the real crisis in terms of funding is not Social Security, it’s Medicare. Which is breaking down rapidly and this most recent legislation exacerbates that fiscal crisis. And that’s something for some reason the president seems entirely unwilling to tackle.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At An Illinois Weekly Policy Update, Washington, D.C., 2/10/05)

IN 1999, OBAMA WAS AGAINST WELFARE REFORM

In 1999, Obama Was Against Welfare Reform. OBAMA: “I’m happy to answer about anything. Legal issues, political issues, football.” AUDIENCE MEMBER: “I was interested in what you said. [Inaudible]” OBAMA: “Let me take it sort of two fold. The first question which is fairly specific is about welfare reform. As most of you know I think, in 1996 the Republican Congress passed and President Clinton signed a welfare reform bill that essentially ended a 60 year entitlement to welfare. I was a strong proponent of some reform of the welfare system. I would not probably of supported the federal system. The federal bill that was passed.” (State Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Northfield, MN, 2/5/99)

IN 2004, OBAMA DID NOT SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE 

Obama In 2004: “I Have Been Very Clear On This. I Have Said That I Am Not A Supporter Of Gay Marriage.” OBAMA: “You know, I’ve been, I have been very clear on this. I have said that I am not a supporter of gay marriage. I think that the term marriage itself has strong religious roots and a strong tradition that means something special to people in this country.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Illinois, 9/8/04)

IN 2000, OBAMA BRAGGED ABOUT GETTING EARMARKS FOR HIS DISTRICT

In 2000, Illinois State Senator Barack Obama Bragged About Bringing $2 Million In Earmarks Back To His District . REP. BOBBY RUSH (D-IL): “Senator Barack, he represents a part of Englewood. His district has always been in his Englewood, Englewood has always been in his district, what has he done? They have records in the state senate, what have they done?” STATE SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “I brought $2 million back to the district last year.” (State Senator Barack Obama, “Chicago Tonight,” 3/3/00)

IN 1999, OBAMA CALLED UNIONS A “BARRIER TO CHANGE”

In 1999, State Senator Barack Obama Said That Teachers Unions Are A Barrier To Change. Obama: “There are other mediating institutions, though, that we have to think about. I personally think for example that it is not a healthy thing for our civic life that unions have become so beaten down. Not because I’m always pro-union in terms of how they function. For example, in Chicago, the teachers union needs to do some work to get out in front of change as opposed to being a barrier to change. Nevertheless, I think historically unions were powerful institutions for positive change in the society.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Northfield, MN, 2/2/99)

IN 2007, OBAMA SAID HE WOULD “WALK THE PICKET LINE” WITH UNIONS

Obama : “And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I’m in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Spartanburg, S.C., 11/3/07)

IN 2008, OBAMA SAID HE WOULD GET TOUGH ON CHINA 

In 2008, Obama Said He Had A “Pretty Straightforward Proposition” For China, “You Guys Keep On Manipulating Your Currency, We Are Going To Start Shutting Off Access To Some Of Our Markets.” OBAMA: “Now look, here’s the thing I think people don’t understand. China needs our market. Their economy is dependent on exports to the United States and we have bargaining power. The problem that we’ve got with China is not that we couldn’t work out a deal in which they are benefitting and we are benefitting. The problem is that through all the tough talk of George W. Bush, he is a patsy when it comes to negotiating these agreements. And, what we need to do is to just be better bargainers that say, ‘Look, here’s the bottom line, you guys keep on manipulating your currency, we are going to start shutting off access to some of our markets. If you are doing the right thing and not trying to manipulate your currency to disadvantage us, then you will have access.’ It’s a pretty, pretty straight forward proposition.” (Senator Barack Obama, Q&A At The AAM Forum, Pittsburgh, PA, 4/14/08)